The Home Garden Education Office in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) is a valuable resource for home gardeners facing problems with their plants, and those just getting started.
The Office serves primarily Connecticut residents, but also helps those from anywhere in the U.S. The Office can address an array of gardening questions about plant health, insects, diseases, when to do routine maintenance like pruning and fertilizing, and even how to start a garden.
“Our main purpose is to help anybody who is interested in gardening or plants to do better or do more with what they already do in the garden,” Heather Zidack, horticultural outreach educator, says.
The Office is staffed with horticultural professionals who leverage their expertise to help the public.
“We do have that background knowledge, both from our education and working in the field,” Zidack says. “We really pride ourselves on how we leverage that knowledge for our clients, because we have so much experience that we can share.”
The Office cannot diagnose diseases or pests itself, so it works closely with the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory. Having a confirmed diagnosis before beginning treatment can help prevent unnecessary or ineffective pesticide and other chemical applications.
“Being able to offer that testing for confirmation is a huge piece of what we do because we’re able to make sure that people know what they have so that they’re treating things specifically,” Zidack says. “It’s really important with gardening that you don’t just treat something and then ask questions later.”
The Office hosts educational talks with local garden clubs and other organizations throughout the year on topics like native plants and pollinators, and not-so-garden-variety oddities. They also produce fact sheets and newsletters with information and gardening tips.
In collaboration with the integrated pest management team at UConn, the Office hosts an annual seminar for home gardeners.
“We really strive to bridge that gap between commercial growing knowledge and gardening resources for homeowners,” Zidack says. “We will work with UConn Extension professionals to be the translator between super technical information and what the homeowner needs to know.”
With its move into the new George Leigh Minor Plant and Soil Health Center, the Home Garden Education Office is looking to host more workshops where they can welcome the public into the space.
“We want to increase how much the public can come in to see us in person,” Zidack says. “We want to get back to being together, looking at actual plants together, and that’s really what we want to encourage in this new space.”
This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply.
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